From staff reports KIOWA COUNTY – Kiowa County voters who want to request absentee ballots for the Oct. 14 special election for the Carnegie school district should apply now, said Kiowa County Election Board Secretary Terri Meinert.
Absentee ballots are available to any registered voter as long as they are eligible to vote in the requested election. Voters do not have to give a reason for voting by absentee ballot.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Sept. 29. Voters may submit their request by using the OK Voter Portal at oklahoma.gov/elections/ ovp.
Requested forms are also available at oklahoma.gov/ elections and at the Kiowa County Election Board office, 201 N. Lincoln in Hobart.
Voters must allow time for receiving an absentee ballot, completing it and returning it by mail to the election board, Meinert said.
“With some exceptions, all absentee ballots must be notarized before being returned,” she said in a news release. “Voters should give themselves plenty of time to make sure all steps have been followed and that the ballot is returned correctly in order to be counted.”
Voters who are exempt from the notarization requirement include those who are physically incapacitated, care for physically incapacitated people who cannot be left alone, and voters who are confined to nursing homes. Those voters may choose to have their ballot witnessed by two people.
Soldiers and voters who live overseas, along with their spouses and dependents, are eligible for certain allowances, according to the news release. Military personnel should contact voting service officers in their units for absentee application forms.
Voters who live overseas may obtain absentee voting applications from any U.S. military installation, embassy or consulate.
Military personnel and overseas residents who are already registered to vote in Oklahoma may apply for absentee ballots using the OK Voter Portal, according to the news release. Those who need to complete a new voter registration application should apply through the Federal Voting Program at fvap.gov.
All completed ballots must be returned to the election board office no later than 7 p.m. the day of the election.
The Kiowa County Election Board office is open from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. For questions, call (580) 726-2509 or email kiowacounty@elections. ok.gov.